November 2007-Some people say after visiting several major cities in China, they all look and feel the same. I would that's true for famous Chinese gardens but I can't say its true for cities. My journey on this trip takes me to Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in Southern China. Located in the Guangdong Province, its rich history goes back hundreds if not thousands of years. More recently, it is well known for the place where Dr. Sun Yat-Sen started the Chinese revolution that overthrow the monarchy in China which stood for thousands of years. I was heading here because I have some distance relatives who live there. After landing at the airport and hopping into a taxi, I could see that this city with 6 million people felt like a real blue collar working town. Guangzhou and Shenzhen is known for is manufacturing industry where many foreign companies have their production or manufacturing operations. Guangzhou appears to be a blue collar type of town. A bit gritty with urban sprawl as the eye could see. However, with a river running through this city, close to Hong Kong, and developed for a Chinese city, it is a vibrant city with many things to do if you’re a local.
With the help of my distant uncle (my dad's side of the family), I spent my first night catching a three hour night cruise up and down the river. I was surprised and impressed at how all the buildings are lighted along the river. It probably gives Shanghai a run for its money. It was probably a four mile stretch along the river where all the building are light up with hotels, restaurants, and a boardwalk lined up along the bank of both sides of the river. Truly impressive!
The next day was pretty packed as I got a tour of the city via bus, taxi, subway. Its unbelievable how well the Chinese government throughout most major cities have planned the subway and bus infrastructure. Makes you wonder most of the time where did Seattle go wrong with its future planning of public transportation. Ok, back to Guangzhou. I got breakfast with my uncle at the corner food stall in the morning. We had the typical Cantonese breakfast of Congee (ie Porrige), Chinese Donuts, and some chow fun (rice noodles). Hmm…delicious!!!! Takes me back when I was a kid. Filling for two people and all for $4USD. Next up, I was able to visit a nice park where many retired people do their daily exercises. Most people in China can retire by the age of 55. We then walked across the street and visited Sun Yat-Sen Park. We then caught a bus to downtown Guangzhou and walked around the main streets. Beijing Road, similar to Nanjing Road in Shanghai, was filled with people walking along a busy pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants. We decided to take a break and had lunch at a fantastic Vietnamese. I asked my uncle that I wanted Vietnamese food b/c after having Chinese food for awhile, I needed a break. The place he took me too was awesome. We got several dishes to share with a combination of curry, Pho, and broken rice with BBQ pork along with some typical Vietnamese iced coffee. Very good to a busy morning thus far. We then caught a taxi back home where I met up with my cousin, Ving, whom I haven't seen since I was three years old. He recently got married and his wife gave birth. Because my Mandarin and Cantonese is not as fluent as I wanted to be, we had a limited set of conversations. But we were able to communicate. I also met my uncle's kids who also were working professionals in this city. We drove to his condo to visit with his new family. I always wonder what life would have been like if I lived and grew up in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. Would I turn out to be the same sort of person I am now? Would I be going through the same career and education track, think differently, and even be married with two kids. Who knows. Something to ponder over.
With the help of my distant uncle (my dad's side of the family), I spent my first night catching a three hour night cruise up and down the river. I was surprised and impressed at how all the buildings are lighted along the river. It probably gives Shanghai a run for its money. It was probably a four mile stretch along the river where all the building are light up with hotels, restaurants, and a boardwalk lined up along the bank of both sides of the river. Truly impressive!
The next day was pretty packed as I got a tour of the city via bus, taxi, subway. Its unbelievable how well the Chinese government throughout most major cities have planned the subway and bus infrastructure. Makes you wonder most of the time where did Seattle go wrong with its future planning of public transportation. Ok, back to Guangzhou. I got breakfast with my uncle at the corner food stall in the morning. We had the typical Cantonese breakfast of Congee (ie Porrige), Chinese Donuts, and some chow fun (rice noodles). Hmm…delicious!!!! Takes me back when I was a kid. Filling for two people and all for $4USD. Next up, I was able to visit a nice park where many retired people do their daily exercises. Most people in China can retire by the age of 55. We then walked across the street and visited Sun Yat-Sen Park. We then caught a bus to downtown Guangzhou and walked around the main streets. Beijing Road, similar to Nanjing Road in Shanghai, was filled with people walking along a busy pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants. We decided to take a break and had lunch at a fantastic Vietnamese. I asked my uncle that I wanted Vietnamese food b/c after having Chinese food for awhile, I needed a break. The place he took me too was awesome. We got several dishes to share with a combination of curry, Pho, and broken rice with BBQ pork along with some typical Vietnamese iced coffee. Very good to a busy morning thus far. We then caught a taxi back home where I met up with my cousin, Ving, whom I haven't seen since I was three years old. He recently got married and his wife gave birth. Because my Mandarin and Cantonese is not as fluent as I wanted to be, we had a limited set of conversations. But we were able to communicate. I also met my uncle's kids who also were working professionals in this city. We drove to his condo to visit with his new family. I always wonder what life would have been like if I lived and grew up in Guangzhou or Hong Kong. Would I turn out to be the same sort of person I am now? Would I be going through the same career and education track, think differently, and even be married with two kids. Who knows. Something to ponder over.
No comments:
Post a Comment